“I look at the world and I
see absurdity all around me. People do strange things constantly, to the point
that, for the most part, we manage not
to see it. That's why I love coffee shops and public places – I mean, they're
all out there” – David Lynch
Sound plays a big part in any
film. Sound can be used to set the scene of the film so the audience feels more
involved. In blue velvet uses music to set the scene. The main piece of music
that is used is through the majority of the opening scene. This music is non
diegetic because the actors cannot hear the music. The specific piece of music
which is used is where David got his inspiration from for the film title. The
piece of music is called Blue Velvet. The song belongs to Bobby Viton and it
was released in 1963. This song was used because it is the stereotypical 1960’s
American song. It is a positive song due to the fact bobby is singing about a
woman and the way he loves her. This song has been used because it sets the
scene for the audience watching the film. It sets a happy atmosphere in what
appears to be a typical American neighbourhood. There is also another piece of
music that is used towards the end of the opening scene. This piece of music
has a slower tempo and the pitch is lower too. This has been used because it
builds tension as a worm POV shot has been used. It makes the audience feel
uneasy because they don’t know what will be shown through the grass. It adds
tension to the film. This piece of music is also non diegetic. These two sounds
that have been discussed have been used together which means they are
contrapuntal. This is because the two sounds overlap towards the end of the
opening scene. Diegetic was also used throughout the opening scene. Diegetic
sounds have been used because it sets the scene for the audience that are
watching it. An example of this music is the main tap which leads to the hose
pipe. This sound is of water that will burst through the pipe. As the sounds
gets worse and worse, the tension builds because the audience expect something
to happen.
The camera shots that
were used in the opening scene have been used for a reason. One type of camera
shot that was used is a worm POV. This shot was used once the man had collapsed
to the floor and the view that the audience saw was on the ground in the grass.
This was used because it gives the audience a mysterious atmosphere when they
are on the ground. This is because no one really knows what it is like to live
in the grass so when given this perspective, it is strange. Another shot that
was used was a low angle. An example of when this was at the beginning of the
opening scene. It showed the roses, the picket fence and the clear sky. This
was done because it represented the American flag. The colours that were used
were red, white and blue which are the colours on the American flag. This shot
was used so it emphasised that the fill is based in America around the 1940’s.
It also represented the happiness that people felt when they lived in the
suburbs at that period in time. Usually, good weather makes people a lot
happier. A wide shot was also used during the opening scene of the film. An
example of when this shot was used the man was water his garden. This shot was
used because it allowed the audience to see the environment that surrounded the
man. The director wanted the audience to see this because they wanted the
audience to see the kind of environment that people lived in during the 1940’s
– 1960’s. The environment was an organised front garden which showed that
Americans lived in nice suburbs where people took care of their property. |
A type of editing that was used during the opening scene was fades. An example
of when a fade was used was at the beginning when the blue velvet curtains
changed into the sky. The curtains faded into the sky. This type of editing
technique was used to create seamless editing. This means that cuts between
shots are fluid and barely noticeable. It worked well because the same shade of
blue was use so the transaction looked less visible. Another type of editing
that was used was a dissolve. An example of when this was used was when there
was a typical American fire engine driving and this then dissolved into yellow
tulips. A dissolve is when there is a quick overlapping of two images. This
editing technique has been used so the scenes are seamless edited. It means
that the transaction between the two shots are more fluid.
Mise en scene has been used throughout the opening scene. An
example of this being used effectively is when the old woman is watching a
television programme or film. When the TV is shown, there is a gun that is
shown. A gun has been shown on the TV because it is a stereotypical genre for
Americans to watch. This emphasises the American dream for the audience.
Another reason for why this has been used is because it can represent the
danger. It foreshadows the danger that may happen at some point of the film
itself. Another times when mise en scene is used is when the curtain is shown
at the beginning of the scene. This curtain is closed and it is also made out
of what appears to be Blue Velvet. This has been used because it fits in with
the title of the film. Another reason for why it has been used is because it is
a metaphor. It is a metaphor for that there is a nice appearance but if you
look deep enough (in this case, behind a curtain), then you will uncover the
dark side/the truth. Tension has been created through using mise en scene. An
example of when this has been used is for the hose. The director has created
tension by the way that the water pressure increases inside the hose. Each shot
where the hose is shown, the water pressure seems to increase each time. This
has done because it makes the audience tense due to them waiting for the hose
of blow. It can represent an upcoming tragic event which in the opening scene,
is the older man having a near fatal accident. It makes the audience think they
know what is coming (which is the hose which should blow) but instead, the man
has a stroke. This changes the way the audience thinks about the scene. It uses
psychological strategies in order to confuse the audience.
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